PC Review: The Sims 3 – Ambitions

Remember when Sims went off to work and players saw only a timeline and a status icon? Now players can experience various workplace scenarios as their Sim gets new playable professions like architectural designer, firefighter, ghost hunter, private investigator, and stylist. There are some great choices which will likely expand to more professions in the future. The already established career tracks stay intact while medical professionals can enjoy some new interactions.

Work can be always be fun in this second expansion pack, which integrates several elements from the core The Sims 3 game and the first expansion, World Adventures, as well as drawing inspiration from the previous Sims 2 – Open For Business expansion pack. Considerate game developers include great elements in every area from previous Sims game like the basement building option previously introduced in World Adventures.

In the pack you can enjoy a whole new town called Twinbrook where players can modify lots in the Edit Town mode. The available modifications are now enhanced by the addition of variable roof pitch, which solves past issues that never really affect the interior, but became an eyesore outside.

Other improved game elements also include lucrative business partnerships and real estate deals plus three new skills — inventing, sculpting, and tattooing. The new consignment store lets Sims sells their works, which include nectar from World Adventures.

The three new skills create deep experiences and entertaining scenarios. New inventions range from practical household items like the floor hygienator to the futuristic Sim Bot (a.k.a. Servo). Sculptors can create works from clay, ice, metal, stone, and wood while tattoo artists use the human body as their canvas. This last one is a great way to create customized designs and see finished works up close because players can model them on Sims the same way they experience clothes and other fashions in the character creator.

The limited playable professions seem likely to expand with more online or future expansion packs. Players can switch jobs easily and experiment with positive and negative reactions, which has always been one of the strongest appeals of this amazing “sandbox” simulation series. As always, developers consider all player skill levels and offer related pop-up tutorials which can be viewed at any point.

This high quality expansion pack also includes Simlish songs including “Savior” by Rise Against, “Need You Now” by Lady Antebellum; “Make My Heart” by Toni Braxton, “Number One Enemy” by Daisy Dares You, “Animal” by Neon Trees, “Bang Bang” by Mealnie Fiona, and “Pyramid” by Charice.

The Sims 3 – Ambitions is rated T (Teen) by the ESRB for crude humor, sexual themes, and violence. This game can also be found on Mac and is coming soon to iPhone.